My Mother — Page 53
Last Years of My Father 53 physicians, and someone pointing to them said, ‘Those two have slaughtered Chaudhri Sahib. ’ My father felt some relief after the operation, but in the after- noon his breathing became uneasy and he felt some pain. By the morning of the 30th the pain had subsided, but breathing contin- ued uneasy, and gradually a decline set in. He realised that he had entered the last stage of his illness, but he exhibited no uneasiness nor gave expression to any worry. He complied calmly with the course of the treatment that was prescribed. On the early morning of Tuesday, 31st August, I left him and withdrew to my room to say Fajr Prayer. He heard the sound of my anguished supplications and urged to go immediately to reassure me. She came and waited till I had finished and then told me to be steadfast, as my father would depart on Thursday night. I asked her whether she had dreamt something. ‘Yes. I saw your father busy writing something as if to com- plete some urgent task. A young woman was sitting in the room on a sofa. Shukrullah Khan (my brother) said to your father, “Sir, if you are going, take this young lady with you. ” Your father looked over his shoulder, without moving in his chair, and said, “My dear, I will be released on Friday. ” His employing the expression released is an indication that he will depart as soon as Friday begins. So, whatever the doctors may think, you should be ready to accept with stead fastness that which God, in His mercy, has determined, and should start making preparations now to the end that his body may be transported in the early hours of Friday morning to Qadian where he is to be buried. Send a message to your brothers at Daska that two of them should come up immediately and bring with them the sheets that have to serve as his shroud; the third